Lawsuit Raises Fish Oil Supplement Concerns

A lawsuit brought by environmentalists in California claims popular brands of fish oil dietary supplements contain unsafe and illegal levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which are carcinogenic chemicals.

Testing found that levels of PCBs in supplements in popular fish oil products varied wildly, from about 12 nanograms per recommended dose to more than 850 nanograms in the most contaminated product. But the suit claims that all of the manufacturers are in violation of California law for not disclosing any non-zero PCB levels in their products.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

As I’ve been warning for the last decade or so, fish stocks around the world are so widely and thoroughly polluted it’s simply not safe to consume nearly any fish product, perhaps not even fish oil. The pollutants in the world’s oceans accumulate throughout the fat and tissues of the fish, turning them into little more than carriers of toxins. This isn’t all that surprising considering the fact that about 40 tons of mercury is released in the United States alone, every year, due to burning coal to generate electricity. And that’s just one type of toxin!

As reported by CBS and ABC News above, the lawsuit brought on by two citizen environmentalists and the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation against several fish oil manufacturers focuses on the first toxin on that list: PCBs.

They claim the fish oil manufacturers and/or distributors of the supplements are in violation of California law, which specifies that the public should not be exposed to more than 90 nanograms of PCBs per day, and requires that consumers be warned about exposure to toxins.

When the plaintiffs had a range of fish oil products tested, they discovered that every single one of them contained PCB – even the ones carrying labels claiming the product had been "Screened for PCBs" or "Treated to Remove PCBs."

If correct, this would be an example of misleading labeling at its finest.

The worst offender contained more than 850 nanograms of PCBs, far exceeding California state law.

PCBs have been banned in the United States for decades, yet is a persistent organic pollutant that's still present in our environment. Major health risks include cancer, reproductive problems and impaired fetal brain development.

Other Problems with Fish Oil

I began warning about farm-raised salmon nearly a decade ago, as it was a major source of PCBs in people’s diet. Now, however, it appears nearly all fish are similarly contaminated to some degree.

Clearly, if the source is contaminated, you’ll end up with a contaminated product unless stringent measures are in place to remove them, so it’s not surprising fish oil is now facing increasing problems with purity. This is just one reason why I strongly recommend getting your omega-3s from a cleaner and more sustainable source, like krill oil.

It is also superior to fish oil because it contains phospholipids, antioxidants (more than 47 times the levels found in fish oil!), and omega-3’s bonded together in a way that keeps them safe from oxidation, and makes them easily absorbed in your body. So with krill oil, you can ensure that you’re getting incredibly healthy fats (EPA and DHA) without having to worry about oxidation issues.

I personally take krill oil every day. I particularly appreciate the fact that the omega-3 is attached to phospholipids that dramatically increase its absorption, especially into brain tissue.

Additional Problems Related to Cod Liver Oil

Certain cod liver oil products were also listed as severely contaminated. But as I’ve discussed on a couple of occasions recently, cod liver oil may not be a wise choice for other reasons as well.

I used to regularly recommend cod liver oil during colder months as it contains both vitamin A and vitamin D in addition to healthy omega-3 fats. These vitamins are essential for most everyone who cannot get regular sun exposure year-round.

With both fish oil and cod liver oil facing a growing laundry list of problems, I believe there’s no better source of omega-3s than krill oil.

If you’ve been a longtime user of either fish oil or cod liver oil, I urge you to do your homework on this alternative. To get you started, simply enter "krill oil" into the search engine on my site for a number of articles on this topic.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.